Last week, on 11 and 12 November 2025, the CoLab “Advanced Technologies for Smart Farming” was successfully held in Osijek. Over the course of two days, the event brought together experts from academia and industry to exchange knowledge and discuss the future of agriculture.

The event started with a lecture by Full professor Emmanuel Karlo Nyarko, PhD, FERIT’s Vice Dean for Projects and International Cooperation, titled “Advanced Technologies for Smart Farming: Challenges and Opportunities.” Lecture highlighted the potential and the challenges that come with adopting advanced technologies in today’s agricultural practices. This was followed by the lectures “Soft Robotics with Smart Materials and Its Application in Agriculture” by Andres Salomón Vázquez (University of Castilla-La Mancha) and “Next-Gen Breeding: AI in Animal Genetics – Mindfulness Is a Superpower” by Boris Lukić (FAZOS). Later in the session, Ivana Rendulić Jelušić (Alti Agro d.o.o. – Vineyard Angels) presented “Use of Drones and AI in Viticulture”, while Lidija Vecl Tančik (ŽITO d.d.) delivered the lecture “Implementing Smart Technologies in Modern Agriculture".

A panel discussion on the key challenges and opportunities in smart agriculture rounded off the first day. The panel featured Emmanuel Karlo Nyarko, Boris Lukić, Ivana Rendulić Jelušić and Andres Salomón Vázquez, moderated by Senka Blažetić. The conversation opened up important questions about the direction of agricultural development, the obstacles the sector faces, and the importance of collaboration, education and equal access to technology.

The second day began with an educational excursion attended by around 45 participants, who visited OPG Branko Kokić, an automated dairy farm in Marjančaci. Participants had the chance to see a fully automated feeding and milking system in operation - a valuable hands-on experience for students and professionals working in robotics, agronomy, IT and agriculture. The visit offered a clear look at how advanced technologies are applied in real farming environments.

Following the excursion, participants took part in team-based workshops where they tackled real agricultural challenges. Each team was asked to design a smart farm solution that incorporated randomly assigned AI technologies. In the closing session, groups presented their concepts, after which the event officially concluded with a brief reflection on all activities carried out.
This year’s CoLab clearly demonstrated how cooperation between academia, industry and other stakeholders is essential for developing innovative and sustainable solutions in agriculture.

We extend our sincere thanks to all lecturers, panelists, participants, students, partners and the hosts at OPG Branko Kokić for their contribution to the successful organization of this year’s CoLab at the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek.